Brian May performs with his younger self onstage on new Back To The Light video

Brian May appearing onstage with Brian May
(Image credit: UMG/YouTube)

Queen guitarist Brian May has released a video for the title track of his recently reissued Back To The Light album, and - in what may be a music industry first - he's apparently travelled through time to join his younger self for the shoot.  

The new video finds 74-year-old Brian May arrive at the doors of London's Hammersmith Odeon (as it was back then) to find the 45-year-old Brian May onstage with a band including drummer Cozy Powell and bassist Neil Murray. 

Brian May the elder joins Brian May the younger onstage to perform Back To The Light - the pair trading moves and solos - before the video ends with 2021 Brian May putting a reassuring arm around 1992 Brian May as the pair soak up the applause.

“I feel kind of affectionate looking back," says May. "Looking back at me 30 years ago, a young man with no idea of the incredible journey that was still to come."

May has already released three tracks from the reissued Back To The Light album - Driven By You, Resurrection and Too Much Love Will Kill You - but the new single is the first to benefit from a physical release. It'll hit stores as a CD and 7” white vinyl single on October 22.

“I’ve polished up the three original videos from 1992,” says May, “but the Back To The Light video is brand new – a short film with a story to tell."

"Brand new" might be stretching it a bit – most of the footage comes from Live At The Brixton Academy, a live film by The Brian May Band released in 1993 – but hey, we're not going to quibble with an actual time traveller.  

Back To The Light (the album) is out now. 

Fraser Lewry

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.